Fantasy Champ Man GW13: Avoiding the template
So season three of Fantasy Champ Man is here. As a result, our expert David (@FPL_Gills) kindly provides regular advice to the FPL community.
Avoiding the Fantasy Champ Man template
Over the past few weeks, Fantasy Champ Man has settled down somewhat, with many of the popular picks being found in most of the top 50 teams.
However, for those wanting to make progress and climb up the ranks, it can be challenging. I hovered between an overall rank of 28th and 52nd between Gameweeks 4-11, until an eight-point hit to sort out my crocked defence dropped me to 66th. So how can you make progress?
This article looks at the current template for the highest teams in the game and shares what I believe is a great differential squad for the next six-to-seven weeks.
The image below seems to be the main template amongst the top 50. I’ll break it down by position and argue against some of the picks.
Goalkeepers
The most popular combination is the Coventry keeper double-up. Hedman (44.2% owned) has been on fire so far and is the top stopper in the game. It seems sensible to follow the template, right? Well, Coventry blank this week, so if you’re using a Wildcard it seems sensible to look elsewhere. Also, his back-up Bray (14.5%) is not listed in the game, so were Hedman to get injured, you’d have no goalie.
Defenders
Bernard (40.4%) has been the best £4.5m defender so far, playing out-of-position on the left wing. However, Newcastle left-back Elliot is injured and Bernard therefore returned to defence last time, limiting his output for the next couple of weeks. Newcastle also have a tricky fixture run coming up.
Taricco (22.6%) is the joint-highest defender so far on 60 points but Ipswich host Liverpool next, followed by four away games in their next six. Ipswich have been terrible defensively and Redknapp should take penalties off Taricco once he’s back from injury.
Chelsea defenders are very popular and right now most of the top 50 have one. There’s an obvious argument for going two or perhaps even three to differentiate. Finally, Ehiogu (46.4%) is the highest pick in the game but there are other potential improvements as you’ll see below.
Midfielders
Chadwick (22.5%) was a popular pick last week and rightly so. He rewarded his owners with a goal and man-of-the-match performance, with a total of ten points. Man Utd have started a fantastic run but you may want to jump on one of their other midfielders, who look better in early sim data.
Pires (19.9%) and Hendrie (18%) are highly-owned due to recent fixtures but now may be the time to jump off. Arsenal have a horrible run coming up, with Villa also playing away in three of the next five. Meanwhile, McAnuff (11%) is an understandable choice for this week versus Watford but Leicester then play four of the following six matches on the road. Although Nolan (51.3%) had some good early season returns and is a fine hold for now, there are possibly better choices if you’re about to Wildcard.
Forwards
Van Nistelrooy (60.7%) is an obvious pick, with returns in almost every match. However, the double-digit hauls continue to evade him. Is he really the best captain pick each week with sevens and eights, or should you target someone more explosive?
Also, Viduka (27.4%) has a decent run coming up from Gameweek 16 but has two of the next three away and is highly-owned. Perhaps it’s worth downgrading to a striker with a better run and using the funds elsewhere.
Finally, Martin Wood (12.7%) has sadly been a disappointment due to the loss of Selakovic to Middlesbrough. He’s a cheap enabler and still has good stats but, with Spurs being away to Boro this week, it’s surely worth looking at alternatives.
Fantasy Champ Man differentials
With this in mind, below is a team of low-owned differentials that might help you break the template.
Goalkeepers
Kirkland is still only 5.3%-owned, despite playing every week in one of the league’s best defences. At only £5m, with Liverpool’s defensive line up settling down, he’s definitely worth considering. Pair him up with a cheap £4m keeper to stretch the budget.
Defenders
On to Hyypia (6.5%), who is now playing regularly. He’s on penalties for Liverpool and one of the best bonus magnets in their team now that Henchoz. Four of their next seven are at home and the three away trips are pretty decent too.
Silvestre (6.5%) is back for Man Utd and I think he’s worth the extra £0.5m over Ehiogu. He has no competition at left-back and soon faces Watford, so there’s the potential of an attacking return playing on that flank.
Whilst Singh (2.3%) is the joint-highest scoring defender in the game, I’d actually consider Gary Kelly (8.3%) who is not far behind. More nailed than Singh (although Maybury will occasionally come in) and costing just £5.5m, he’s an attacking full-back for the second best side in the league.
Atherton (10.5%) has been great for Middlesbrough so far, with a number of attacking returns. Their run has turned positive, with a double at some point in the near future. He’s currently a better option than the suspended Southgate.
Although not 100% nailed, Rufus (8.8%) is still a £4.5m defender worth considering. Villa have some defensive issues so he should play most games. He’s also on penalties.
Midfielders
I’ve gone for two premium Man Utd assets here, as they have such good matches in the next three. Midfielders tend to do well against both Bolton and Watford. Veron is 20.8% owned but these are mostly inactive teams. He’s very low-owned amongst the top 50, performing above expectations in both the Man On and Fantasy Conn3XTSon sim data videos on YouTube.
With Giggs now injured, Nedved (6.7%) is pretty much nailed for the next few games and is a better player than Chadwick in the game. I’ve also gone for the Watford double-up in midfield. Both Pitcher (4.5%) and Vernazza (1.6%) are currently playing regularly. The former is on set pieces and looks good for the next six-to-seven weeks. When Richard Johnson returns, he’ll likely lose his place, meaning Petkov should get set pieces back. At £4.5m he’s a bargain in such an attacking team. Vernazza doesn’t have the set pieces but he’s arguably more nailed and a better long-term option.
Julio Arca (3.5%) hasn’t set the world alight yet but Sunderland have a decent next three, including Watford away. Again, we’ve seen left wingers perform well against the Hornets, so he’s a good option.
Forwards
I’ve gone for Phillips (11.2%) for similar reasons – Sunderland’s good upcoming run. However, Phillips is still not highly-owned and has been scoring goals for fun. A top pick.
Hamilton Ricard (8.6%) should also be in consideration for many Fantasy Champ Man bosses. Boro have most of their tough away games behind them so, if you’re a conservative manager who doesn’t take hits, he can arguably be held over the next dozen weeks.
I’ve also picked Whelan (0.2%) whilst Boksic is out. He’s not nailed but costs just £5m and worth a risk during their appealing next three matches.
Make sure to engage with the Fantasy Champ Man community on the Discord and YouTube channels, with links on my previous articles, or tweet me.
